Our host for this month’s TSQL Tuesday is TJay Belt (blog|twitter). He’d like us to share our experiences dealing with our own personal journey with Work/Life Balance, either thru experience, or hopeful future goals…

• What are the cool things have you learned?
• What things did you try, that simply didn’t work out? 
• What rules have you implemented that made it easier to balance?
• What rules made it harder to find that balance?
• What are tips or tricks can you share to help others?

---

I have learned that I am awful at work/life balance. In point of fact, I will work and work and work until I burn out. I’ve tried various ways of being better about it, but nothing worked until I discovered my favorite single phrase:

FORCING FUNCTION!!!

For me, if I want to have anything happen at all, I need a forcing function, something that makes me have to do it, not just think it might be a good idea.

Here are some examples of how I implement this in my life:

• Riding the bus to work. This is a big one. I have to leave at certain times. If I don’t, I’ll stay until late, but if the last bus leaves at 6, no way am I staying longer than that.
• Kids involvement. Oh, how I love my kids. I will NOT miss one of their activities, so if they are doing it, I have to be there. Nothing gets in the way. Nothing.
• On my calendar? Nope, doesn’t matter. A person staring me in the face? Oh yeah! I make plans with someone when I absolutely can’t miss it. Working out is so much better with other people. It is one reason I have not been in shape for a couple years.
• DO NOT WORK FROM HOME! It has to be a building-on-fire emergency for me to work from home

I was actually great about that last point before the pandemic. Now, I have to remember to shower, shave, and brush my teeth before sitting down at the computer in the morning. Get my coffee, too. I both appreciate and dislike that my desk is feet away from my bed.

Nowadays, making dinner is one of my forcing functions. Scouting with the kids is a forcing function. I have training, meetings, and activities to support my kids in, so I have to step away from work.

Find your forcing functions for those moments when you need a prybar to help you get away from work.

Have a great Tuesday!